Get 'em in!

I came across this church website: St. Swithuns (sic), but not in England, In Oz. That may explain the odd spelling.

This is a 'brochure' type site, with info about the church programs, etc. OK as far as it goes, but just how far does it in fact go?

I clicked on Hope25, because this looked like something I should  know but clearly don't. That means its addressed to an 'in' crowd. 

OK, so its a special activity. I'll screen shot it because it will disappear after the event, I guess.

The special activity advertised these 'gripping' themes:

The Sermon Topics

11 May: Hope for the Despairing

18 May: Hope for the Stressed

25 May: Hope for the Lonely

1 June: Hope for the Ageing (that's all of us!)

We'd love to welcome you to any of these services. If you'd like a friendly church member to be looking out for you and/or sit beside you, please contact Andy on XXXXXXX or by email XXXXXX

Observations

1. The "sermon". This is 'in-talk'. What's a 'sermon' to most people? Either no clue, or a boring discourse on some irrelevant topic or a moralistic exhortation without an argued basis.
2. The topics are framed to attract people who self-identify as some sort of 'can't cope' loser. Or I may be wrong, a whole lot of people from the community will say to themselves, 'heck, I'm despairing after the recent elections, I'll toddle along'. Not.
3. If you need a 'dial-a-pal' we'll supply one.

It really seems to be an anti-advert. Framed for the weak-at-heart, and not for adults with serious challenging questions of our common lot.

I predict it will attract no new person along. It may even discourage a few of the regulars who don't want to be marked as 'despairing', 'stressed' (and not on top of it), 'lonely' (and therefore unpopular), or not able to deal with the inevitable aging.

The 'dial-a-friend' service would be about as attractive as admitting that one dates paid 'escorts'.

It also suggests that the church has no confidence in the capability of its doormen or ushers.

The topics themselves are real issues, but to attract those who might be interested, the titles have to be affirming and encouraging, not deprecating.

Perhaps less pointed language:

"The challenge of despair" our human lot.

"Success and its stresses"

"Alone again, naturally: we all go there sometimes." 

"Dynamic aging"

Not brilliant, I'd admit, but I'd call them 'themes' not 'sermon's, and include structured interviews with 'successful' people who would deal with the topics. And optional 'focus' groups to follow up.